What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I hope it goes to you well".
Which one should you use?
The form ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut uses the formal Ihnen and is appropriate for business correspondence or people you do not know well. For more specific situations, you might use Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut und Sie sind wohlauf to mean "I hope you are well and in good health" or Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut in diesen schwierigen Zeiten to say "I hope you are well in these difficult times".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a friend or someone you address with du, use dir instead of Ihnen in the phrase ich hoffe, es geht dir gut. If you are addressing a group of people you know personally, use euch as in Ich hoffe, es geht euch allen gut or ich hoffe, es geht euch gut.
Did you know?
- Although ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut is polite, using it too frequently in a professional email chain can seem insincere to Germans, who often prefer getting straight to the point.
- The formal Ihnen used in this phrase is the dative case of 'you'. In German, health and well-being are treated as things that happen 'to' a person rather than things a person 'is'.
- The German word gut shares an ancient root with the English word 'good', both descending from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'to unite, be associated or suit'.
Examples in context
- Guten Tag, Herr Schmidt. Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.Good day, Mr. Schmidt. I hope you are well.
- Hallo Anna! Ich hoffe, dir geht's gut.Hello Anna! I hope you are well.
- Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut und Sie sind wohlauf.Dear Mrs. Müller, I hope you are well and in good health.
- Hey Leute! Ich hoffe, es geht euch allen gut.Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well.
- Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.Dear Ms. Müller, I hope you are well.
- Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut und Sie hatten einen schönen Urlaub.I hope you are well and had a nice holiday.
Example conversation
Sarah sends a professional email to a client, Maximilian.
- SarahHallo Herr Weber, ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.Hello Mr. Weber, I hope you are well.
- MaximilianVielen Dank, Frau Sarah, mir geht es sehr gut.Thank you, Ms. Sarah, I am doing very well.
- SarahDas freut mich zu hören.I am glad to hear that.
- MaximilianWie kann ich Ihnen heute helfen?How can I help you today?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, gut, ich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
